A Pure Heart
by DyanaRoseJill
Summary: The Death Busters are searching for the Pure Heart Crystals. Sailor Uranus is not working with the rest of the senshi. Mercury gets help from an old friend. AmixZoi fluff. One shot.


"Mercury Star Power - Make up!" the girl cried out as she ran. Somewhere between stepping from her left foot to her right foot, her clothing changed.

"Everyone, it's another diamon," she called into her communicator as she ran.

From the other end, there were various confirmations - the others were coming. Mercury felt a soft pulse from the necklace that rested next to her heart. The necklace had been a gift, a clear blue stone. Tanzanite, it was called. Blue because it suited her. The senshi weren't the only ones that were coming to help her.

She nearly collided with Sailor Uranus, who held out a hand to block her path. Just beyond the older senshi, she could see the diamon, which resembled a large dog, closing in on a young man.

"We have to stop them!" Mercury exclaimed, "Let me past!"

"And what are you going to do alone?" Uranus said.

"I have to do something!" Mercury replied, "Let me past!"

"No," Uranus said.

The ice senshi let out a frustrated sigh. "Alright, so maybe I can't do anything on my own," she said, "I know I'm not strong enough. But I know that you are!"

"Of course I am," Uranus replied.

"So why don't you stop it? Why don't you save him?"

"You wouldn't understand," Uranus said; her eyes on the fight ahead of her.

Mercury gathered herself. "Shabon Spray!"

Uranus swore as Mercury used the cover of the fog to duck past the senshi of flight and hurry towards the diamon. The creature looked up in surprise, but barely had time to react before a blast of freezing cold water hit it dead on. The monster snarled and advanced on her, swiping at the air with a massive paw. Mercury just barely managed to jump out of the way. She had to keep it busy long enough for Sailor Moon and the others to come.

"Run!" she shouted to the young man, who needed no further encouraging.

Uranus cursed louder, but there was nothing she could do. The target was gone; another dead end.

Uranus wasn't the only one watching. Green eyes narrowed. The senshi were the guardians of justice right? The protectors of the world, right? They were so… good. Why was this one just watching as Mercury was left to battle the monster on her own? From what he remembered, the senshi were a team. That was what made them powerful. Despite the ridiculously short skirt, this was no senshi. No more than he had been for that week.

The monster advanced on Mercury, and she held up an arm to ward off the blow, but it never came. The monster howled in pain and backed away from the shadowy figure that stood in front of Mercury. He held a long ice-like dagger in one hand.

She got to her feet. She wasn't like Sailor Moon, to yell out the name of her savior. She didn't need to. He knew she was glad to see him.

"What is that thing?" he asked her.

"It's a diamon," she said, "Artificially created."

"Artificially created?" he repeated, "From what?"

"I don't know," she said.

"From a person?"

"No."

"Animal?"

"No."

His green eyes sparkled a bit. "Good. More fog."

The fog was for her benefit, and they both knew it. She saw him run off, knife in hand.

Mercury stood there numbly for a moment, before getting on her communicator again. "Everyone… he's safe…"

"And the diamon?" Rei asked.

"It's… being taken care of," she said slowly, then cringed as Usagi squealed. "He came!"

"Yes, yes," Ami said, "No sign of Mimete."

She couldn't help but smile slightly at the sight of him returning. Her ice fog was breaking up, swirling dramatically. The knife was in his hand, but it vanished as he neared her.

"Are you alright?" he asked her.

She rushed over to him, hugging him tightly in a rather uncharacteristic display of emotion for her.

"Are you hurt?" he asked again.

"No," she said, "I'm not hurt."

Zoisite looked up, looking past her at Sailor Uranus with a fire in his eyes.

"And who are you?" he demanded.

"I am Sailor Uranus," she replied.

He snorted, "-Sailor- Uranus? You don't act like one. Sailor Senshi are defenders of the innocent. I didn't see you living a finger to help Sailor Mercury."

She folded her arms. "And who are you?"

He stood a bit straighter, "Lord Zoisite, Heavenly King of Europe, guardian of the Northern Kingdom of Terra." His tone was arrogant, and he knew it, but this senshi brought it out of him.

Sailor Uranus snorted, "'Heavenly King'?" she repeated.

"Yes," he replied simply, "Fourth of the _Shitennou, _personal guard to Lord Endymion."

"Ah one of the _Shitennou_," Uranus said with a smirk, "I've heard of you."

He tensed a bit, but didn't move, "What of it?"

"Just stay out of our way," she said.

"But we could help each other!" Mercury insisted, "if you'd just tell us what you were doing!"

"We have our mission," Uranus said, "That does not need to concern you."

"It does concern us," Mercury insisted, "People are getting hurt, and you're just letting it happen!"

"You would not understand," Uranus said firmly, "Stay out of our way."

"Stay out of my way then," Zoisite growled.

"I'm surprised that you take this much interest in protecting people, Zoisite," Uranus said, "From what I know about you."

"This is my planet, and my home," he replied, "If something is happening, I should know about it."

"We're taking care of it," Uranus replied, "That is all you need to know."

With that, she walked off.

"They're trying to find Pure Heart Crystals," Mercury said to him softly, "So they attack humans and steal them."

"Pure Heart Crystals?" he repeated, "Then… they're after peoples hearts?"

She nodded, "They take them… I don't know why the people don't die right away…"

"It's possible," Zoisite said, "You think scientifically, not magically… But… it does sort of kill the person… it kills their spirit… their soul…"

"You sound like… you know a lot about it," Mercury said softly.

"I do."

She shook her head slightly, "Anyway, usually when there is a diamon, Mimete is not far behind… The diamons trap the person, but she is the one that removes the heart."

"So where is she?" he asked.

"She is very unhappy," came a very young sounding voice.

Both Zoisite and Mercury turned towards the sound, to see a girl with bright orange hair seated on a bench. She looked very annoyed.

"That was sure to be a good one," she pouted, "You just had to come along and ruin it." She stood up and glared, "Who are you anyway?"

"She sulks worse than me," Zoisite commented.

"Well," she brushed her skirt off, and stood up, "Sailor Mercury… but where are the rest of the senshi? You're all alone. You'll do."

"Why are you hurting people like this?" Mercury demanded.

Mimete raised her gun and fired, dead on at Mercury.

"Look out!"

Zoisite shoved Mercury hard out of the way, taking the shot dead on in the back. She screamed his name as he staggered to his knees.

Mimete hurried over and then stopped. "Oh no," she shook her head, "No, no no. That's no good." She turned away in a huff, "What a waste of time." She stalked off.

Zoisite knelt there, cradling his heart crystal in his hands. He gazed down at the clouded crystal. He did not expect his heart to be pure. Not after all that he had done, that he continued to be done. He closed his hands around it. He did not want Mercury to see.

"Zoisite!" Mercury knelt down next to him, "Are you alright?"

He nodded slowly.

"At least she didn't get your heart."

"Yes…" he said softly, "I have it."

"Good," Mercury looked relieved, "Then we can put it back where it belongs."

He didn't move and she blinked, looking at him carefully. "Zoisite?.... what's wrong?" She took his hands, tightly closed around his heart crystal and tried to pry them open.

His green eyes - which were a bit glazed over - met hers. "Ami," he said slowly, "You know who I am… what I am… what I was."

"I do," she said softly.

He opened his hands, showing her his heart. She gasped a bit at the sight of it. All of the other hearts had been shining crystals, like diamonds. His was the right shape, but it was dark gray and clouded.

"Well," she said slowly, "It's not black."

"I don't think it will ever been pure," he said, "I've done too much… "

Ami gently stroked the crystal. An involuntary look of pleasure crossed Zoisite's face as she did so. "Maybe not," she said, "But anything is possible." Her touch left faint finger prints, lighter in color. His crystal shimmered and absorbed the prints, lightening just a fraction of a shade.

"Now," Ami said gently, "Let's put it back."

Together they pushed the crystal back into his chest.


End file.
